Chinese shares close higher Wednesday

Chinese stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.32 percent to 3,946.68 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.09 percent higher at 14,414.43 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by these two indices stood at 2.15 trillion yuan (about 316.73 billion U.S. dollars), down from 2.32 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.

Sectors such as real estate, computing hardware, and semiconductor chips led the gains, while banking, oil and gas, and coal stocks suffered notable losses.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 1.49 percent to close at 3,602.08 points on Wednesday.

The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 1.51 percent higher on Wednesday at 2,019.77 points.

Chinese shares close higher Wednesday

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji died of illness at the age of 98 in Beijing at 11:06 on Wednesday.

Zhu had served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 14th and 15th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

An obituary, jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, extolled Zhu as an excellent Party member, a time-tested and loyal communist fighter, and an outstanding proletarian revolutionist, statesman and leader of the Party and the state.

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji passes away at 98